Nazareth Principals Assess Elementary Education Needs

January 25, 1990|by KAREN FINNEGAN, The Morning Call

Nazareth Area School District's three elementary school principals last week gave school directors their assessment of the needs of elementary education in the district, particularly in staffing, for the 1990-91 school year.

There are 1,649 elementary pupils in the district, with 1,777, or a 7 percent increase projected for the 1990-91 school year. The principals expressed concern because average teacher-to-pupil ratios already are 1 to 25.5 at Bushkill; 1 to 22.2 at Lower Nazareth and 1 to 24.9 at Shafer. Some classes already have 29 and 30 children.

Shafer Principal John Caprari said major concerns for his school are overcrowding and the need for more specialists, such as guidance counselor, librarian and music and art teachers. The three schools share personnel in those areas.

Vass said his school had an intern in counseling for part of this school year who worked with 78 pupils. He said additional counseling would allow the elementary schools to work on prevention, rather than intervention after a crisis is identified.

When additions now under construction are completed at Bushkill and Lower Nazareth, some problems such as overcrowding will be alleviated, but equipment needs, such as updated public address systems in Shafer and Lower Nazareth, and audio-visual and computer equipment at all schools have to be considered, the principals said.

Caprari stressed a need for air conditioning at Shafer, after a survey initiated by Shafer's PTA last spring showed some classrooms on the upper level reached 88 to 97 degrees, with some classrooms on the lower level reaching uncomfortable levels.

Board vice president William Evans asked the principals to further prioritize their requests and, with help from the administration, provide estimated costs of each request. The principals agreed to provide additional data next month.

District Superintendent John Jenkins reminded the board that many of the projected elementary education needs discussed during the meeting were highlighted in his annual report for 1989-90.